Winter Camping with The Camping and Caravanning Club

Increasingly, caravanners and motorhome owners are continuing to use their units during the winter, according to The Camping and Caravanning Club.

The Club still provides information to its members on how to secure and store units safely over the winter, but now – with better heating systems and improved facilities on camp sites – more people are choosing to use their caravans and motorhomes in all weathers.

To cater for these winter holiday-makers, eleven Club Sites are now open throughout the year. These include Chertsey, in Surrey, and Hertford – both ideal for visiting London for a spot of Christmas shopping. Other city camp sites which remain open include Canterbury, in Kent, and Oxford. The beautiful Lake District Club Site at Ravenglass closes for December, but re-opens on 14 January, to allow campers to explore the Lake District National Park in the colder months.

Teversal and Thetford Forest Club Sites are both new to the Club network in 2006 and are open all year round. Teversal is perfect for visiting Sherwood Forest – and following in the footsteps of Robin Hood – while Thetford Forest allows you to enjoy winter in the woodlands of Norfolk.

For those who prefer to go further afield – perhaps in search of warmer weather – Carefree, the Club’s overseas travel service, can provide all the practical help necessary for first-time winter travellers or the more experienced.

The Club is the only organisation to produce a Winter Holiday Brochure especially for campers and caravanners. It is full of holiday ideas, with Winter Sun Holidays in Spain and Portugal being a particular speciality. Club members can find everything they need for a great holiday abroad, including selected long stay and en route camp sites, ferries, insurance, maps, guide books and much more – whether they are heading for a ski slope in the Bavarian Alps or a Winter Sun Rally on the .

Barry Norris, the Club’s Technical Information Officer, says: “It is worth taking a bit of extra care if you are travelling and using your caravan or motorhome in colder weather. For safety, it’s vital to keep vents clear – especially if you are using gas appliances – and life is much more pleasant if you protect your water supply, so it doesn’t freeze.

“But many caravans and motorhomes are designed to be used throughout the year as long as you take a few, common-sense precautions. Why not try staying on a Club Site this winter or travel south to get a little sun?”

-ENDS-

Note to Editors:

1.The Camping and Caravanning Club is the oldest and largest club in the world for all forms of camping. The Club offers its 400,000-plus members a range of services, including comprehensive sites guides and discounts on a variety of sites across the UK. It has a range of other benefits tailored to members needs, from special insurance deals and Arrival (breakdown cover from RAC), to Camping and Caravanning – the dedicated Club monthly magazine.Michelle Jewell 024 7647 5202